China will launch a nationwide campaign to regulate drug wholesalers, after a case featuring the sale and distribution of millions of dollars' worth of improperly stored vaccines.
All drug wholesalers have been ordered to conduct an internal inspection and report any violations, such as fake suppliers or forged trade ledgers, to the China Food and Drug Administration, according to a statement by the administration on Tuesday.
Drug companies that uncover violations have until May 31, 2016, to submit detailed plans on how they will address their failings, it added.
Any firm that fails to submit their report on time may have their operational permit revoked, according to the statement.
The administration vowed to improve supervision of drug distribution channels.
There is a public hotline for people who may have information on firms ignoring the new rules.
Police in east China's Shandong Province announced in February that they had arrested a mother and daughter suspected of illegally selling improperly stored or expired vaccines worth more than 570 million yuan (about 88 million U.S. dollars) since 2011.
The public were disgusted, and some parents were concerned about the safety of vaccinating their children.
